


Instant Messaging IV

by TheSaddleman



Series: Instant Messaging [8]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Foreshadowing, Friendship, Psychic Paper, Secrets, TenRose - Freeform, Tenth Doctor Era, Twelfth Doctor Era, hidden thoughts, message from the future, spoilers for the big finish eighth doctor audio dramas, whouffaldi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 22:01:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8507059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSaddleman/pseuds/TheSaddleman
Summary: When Clara Oswald attempts to use her psychic paper to contact the Doctor, she gets a wrong number and ends up sharing secrets with someone unexpected.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A continuation of my Instant Messaging series. This one is pure improvisation. For Clara it's set sometime during Series 9, like all the others. For the "special guest star" the placement should become apparent in the story.

Doctor?

Hello, Doctor?

Doctor Doctor Doctor…

     _Who is that?_

     _Why are you calling the Doctor?_

     _How are you doing this_

     _with the psychic paper?_

     _Felt it vibrating._

     _Ick._

You’re not the Doctor?

Who are you?

Where is the Doctor?

     _No. My name’s Rose._

Oh no.

I’m so, so sorry.

You’ve heard of wrong numbers, yeah?

Well this was a wrong number.

Big time.

Sorry to have bothered you.

Bye-

     _You can’t just hang up!_

     _How are you able to do this?_

     _How am I able to do this?_

     _Who are you?_

You have to be simpatico

with the Doctor

for it to work.

So I’m told, anyway.

     _You know the Doctor?_

     _I should get him._

NO!

I mean, please don’t.

He can’t know we’re doing this.

Time lines and all that.

     _You from the future?_

     _Do you travel with him?_

More or less.

Describe the Doctor to me.

Please.

     _Used to be all leather and short hair._

     _Now he’s foppy hair and trainers._

     _Describe yours._

Older.

Not necessarily wiser.

     _No change there, then._

     _What’s your name?_

     _I won’t tell him._

Clara.

Better just leave it at Clara.

Where are you right now?

     _In the TARDIS._

     _He’s gone out to buy parts for_

     _something called a fluid link._

     _We’ve just come back from 1950s UK._

     _Saw the Coronation on TV._

     _After getting sucked into a TV._

Same old, same old.

I wanted to go to Queen Victoria’s

but the Doctor said that might be

a bit awkward.

     _Why?_

Long story.

     _So where are you, then?_

My flat in London.

I was bored so thought I’d call the Doctor.

Oops!

LOL.

     _You still use LOL?_

I’m old school.

I haven’t figured out 

how to do emojis on this yet.

     _Emo-what?_

You’ll find out.

It’s 2007 for you, right?

     _Good guess._

     _I suppose lotto numbers are_

     _out of the question._

     _Mum’s got a ticket on a_

     _triple rollover._

The Doctor would kill me.

     _And I know better than to ask_

     _what happens to us._

Yeah, better not.

     _But I’m not with him anymore._

You know it’s never forever.

It can never be.

You’ve met Sarah Jane.

     _You seem to know a lot about me._

     _Should I be worried?_

No! No, nothing like that.

I …

…

The Doctor and I talk a lot.

And I know a lot about him.

We keep very few secrets.

     _He seems to still keep a lot from me._

     _I envy you._

     _So what’s his name?_

Basil.

     _You’re taking the $%%._

     _A swear filter?_

     _Are you kidding me?_

Basil’s not his name.

He got tired of John Smith.

So I suggested Basil.

My Doctor is like a Basil.

     _As in Basil Fawlty?_

Shhh! Don’t tell him.

     _LOL._

     _Now you have me doing it!_

     _Seriously, though_

     _Do you know his name?_

There was a thing that happened.

I lost some memories after.

But I think I knew it once.

Maybe he’ll tell me some day.

     _Not a chance._

     _Unless you marry him._

     _Or so he says._

I know.

...

I know.

     _Hang on …_

     _You’re not …_

     _seriously…_

No. Nothing like that.

     _But you wish it was._

I won’t lie to you.

So I won’t say anything.

     _I’ve been there._

     _Who am I kidding? I still am._

     _But I’m just a human._

     _He’s a 900-year-old Time Lord._

Wow, he’s young.

He was well into the 4 digits when I met him.

...

I probably shouldn’t have said that.

I’m reminded all the time.

But he acts so young sometimes.

He was awkward for a while.

But we hug a lot more now.

     _Glad that hasn’t changed._

Doesn’t go any further than that.

Though there was that time on

the Orient Express in space.

I just wanted to snog the grey

out of his hair-

Whoa! Ignore that last bit!

Psychic paper does that sometimes.

Didn’t mean to think that aloud.

     _I won’t tell anyone._

     _Must have been one hell of a train ride._

Long story.

Involving a mummy.

I’ll say no more.

     _Why were you calling the Doctor?_

     _If you don’t mind me asking._

The Doctor and I don’t always travel.

I have a career, a home on Earth.

We try to see each other once a week.

But I miss him and

sometimes I just like to talk to him.

He gave me psychic paper

for my birthday. 

We use it sometimes.

     _Except for mum there isn’t anything for me._

     _I only go back for her._

I feel the same now.

My mum died long ago,

but there’s still my dad and gran.

There was Danny, but he died, too.

     _I’m sorry about Danny._

     _Boyfriend?_

Yeah. I loved him.

Problem was …

I don’t know why I’m saying this to you.

Probably the wine.

     _What, is this a drunk-psychic thing?_

No! 

     _So tell me, then._

     _Companions United._

     _Your secret’s safe with me._

I loved Danny.

But he wasn’t the Doctor.

He could never be.

And … I realized I …

No, I’m sorry. I can’t.

     _Can’t what?_

If I can’t tell the Doctor

how I feel

it’s not fair to him if 

I tell somebody else. 

You understand.

More than most, I think.

     _Yeah, guess I do._

     _What a life we lead._

But I wouldn’t trade it 

for anything.

     _Same._

     _Open for some advice?_

     _Companion to companion?_

Shoot.

     _Love him._

     _But don’t start thinking like him._

     _Don’t. Just don’t._

     _I’ve come close a couple of times._

     _And I was nearly lost._

     _In more ways than one._

It’s hard not to.

Sometimes I feel like it’s too late.

I’ve felt what it’s like to be the Doctor.

And it’s addicting.

The Doctor is worried too.

But he’s shown me

another way to be. 

It’s hard to give that up.

Almost like it’s meant to be.

     _I know._

     _But some day it will end._

     _It always does._

     _I’ve told the Doctor that_

     _I’d travel with him forever._

     _Obviously I don’t._

     _Talking to you now, I know this._

     _Maybe I die or something else happens._

     _But nothing is forever._

I know.

The Doctor frets about me all the time.

What he doesn’t realize is…

I don’t know if I want to ever…

…to ever…

…know what it’s like when the Doctor ...

When he is gone.

Forever.

     _You sometimes wonder if_

     _it might be better if you went first._

Sometimes.

But I would never want him

to experience that.

He’s still haunted by those he’s lost.

You know the name Adric?

     _And Katarina._

     _Sara Kingdom._

Lucy Miller.

There’ve been a few others.

I don’t want to be ever

on that list.

A name on a memorial somewhere.

That people walk by, ignoring.

Like they do with Danny at the school I work at.

     _Same._

     _And on that depressing note…_

Sorry! What are we doing?

Crying into our beers ...

...across the Vortex!

     _Please tell me he no longer calls_

     _the TARDIS sexy._

     _That’s creepy._

I make up for it.

She and I have arguments

all the time.

I call her names but she

just beeps back and I don’t speak Beep.

So I win.

     _Good for you!_

    …

     _He’s coming back._

     _I better go._

     _This has been interesting._

     _And, really, an honour._

Same here.

You take care of him.

I’m counting on you!

You take care, too.

     _Please give him my love._

     _If that’s OK._

I will.

Goodbye.

***

Doctor? Are you there.

Please pick up your paper.

Hello?

     _Ah, Clara! How are you?_

     _Having a good day?_

An interesting one.

I just spoke to an old friend.

Want to hear about it?

**Author's Note:**

> For Rose, this story takes place immediately after "The Idiot's Lantern." 
> 
> Lucie Miller was a companion of the Eighth Doctor's in the Big Finish audio dramas.


End file.
